This week Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving, a day for family and friends to get together, eat good food, and give thanks. Living in Australia, it’s been 7 years since I’ve had green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce or home-made pumpkin pie.
But while I don’t celebrate the holiday, I like to honour the spirit behind the day by reflecting back on the year and giving thanks for how God has blessed and worked in my life.
This past Sabbath afternoon was a wonderful celebration of renewed life as two of my very good friends, Lily and Nyari, made public declarations of their love for Jesus through baptism. Hearing the testimonies of God’s workings in their lives deeply touched everyone who was there; even those who have witnessed a fair few agree that it was one of the most moving baptisms – to God be the glory.
I seem to come across a lot of new learning at seminars these days. Come to think of it, I guess that’s what the seminars are for! I guess what really strikes me are the insights these seminars give me beyond my immediate career. Last time I wrote about the ‘Matthew Effect’ a term to describe a phenomenon in education taken from Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. I recently came across another idea that put me in mind of my Christian walk through my teen years.
Growing up in a Christian home, going to a Christian school and attending church every weekend I had some beliefs and behaviours that were pretty well worn in. One of these beliefs was that belief is more important than actions. Put simply I had a very narrow view of verses in the Bible such us ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,’ – Romans 3:23-24. The idea that I am a sinner and nothing can change that – but I shouldn’t worry too much because God will save me anyway. Of course, that’s a very simplistic view, but nonetheless, one I held.
To Daniel and his 3 friends, it would seem that they were born at the wrong time in history. The mistakes made by their predecessors were now reaping its rewards on Daniel’s generation. King Jehoiakim had been forewarned and his choice to ignore those warnings led to Daniel and his friends being forcibly removed from home, family and land.
It’s 2:38 am and I’m wide awake.
We arrived in Kauai, Hawaii 36 hours ago after a 15-hr journey (with a long layover in Honolulu) during which I slept 2.5 hours, so the first night I slept nearly 12 hours! But tonight is a different story.
The Mission Collective (https://themissioncollective.org) recently happened from 27-29 September, 2019 at the Royal Children’s Hospital. A couple of months prior, I was kindly invited by an Uncle I highly respected and he made sure I was informed as soon as registration opened. Long weekends are usually perfect to recover from full weeks of busy work but the chance to catch up with other young people who are “seeking to realise the potential of a generation committed to innovative evangelism” sounded great.
I have recently engaged in a professional learning series that focussed on teaching literacy. During these workshops I was introduced to the ‘Matthew Effect’. I had not heard of this ‘effect’ before but realised I was familiar with its premise – ‘The rich get richer and the poor get poorer’. I had always thought this aphorism was used in the context of capitalism and the inevitable inequality of the free market. I was therefore surprised when the presenters referenced Matthew 25:29 as the source for this quote! Having an interest in the Gospels I looked up the reference when I arrived home.
The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17:
… where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Paul did not follow Jesus during His earthly ministry. Instead, he spent his days persecuting people who followed Jesus. It wasn’t until years after Jesus’ death and resurrection that Paul was on the road to Damascus and had a supernatural encounter with Jesus that changed his life forever.
It’s springtime in Melbourne. My weather app forecasts scattered showers for the next 6 days. I stare dismally at the boys’ shoes which are torn up with holes – they go through shoes faster than clothes or haircuts. I’ll have to pack extra socks for when their feet get wet.
Rain brings mixed emotions.
For some, rain means cold, dreary commutes with dripping umbrellas. For some, it means slippery sports conditions. For others, it means an invitation for hibernation.
But for farmers? Rain is an answer to prayer. It’s desperately needed for crops, livestocks, and livelihoods. Aussie farmers are anxiously watching the skies waiting for rain to come now.
I only recently became aware that there were large fires in different regions across the world including the Amazon, Siberia, Greenland, and some parts of southern Europe.
I read a few news sources and they say the Amazon is known as the Earth’s lungs and produces up to 20% of the world’s oxygen. It’s a terrible thought to lose the ability to breathe properly. The biodiversity in the Amazon forest is also lost due to these fires. The Earth isn’t looking too good going forward. There is also much heat in the political arena between powerful countries (e.g. the US vs Iran) and political ideologies (e.g. far left vs far right).
Jesus predicted that humanity’s selfish choices would destroy the Earth and create mounting conflict between the nations in Matthew 24.
In the midst of all these happenings we can be consumed by fear and uncertainty of the future.
